I've lost count of the number of times I've heard (or read) aspiring writers insist that
certain agents or publishers have to be reputable because they are listed in the Writer's Market, or the Writer's Handbook — you can insert the title of any of the published guides there.
Not exact matches
Like me, no doubt, most new authors somehow think that once they've reached a
certain level of proficiency with respect to their writing abilities, that they are ready to seek out a
publisher, an
agent,
or proceed with self - publishing.
I may try for a
certain amount of time, to find a
publisher or agent, then if it doesn't pan out, I'll strike out on my own.
Grants do exist, but they have rules, just like a
publisher only printing
certain genres, an
agent only representing specific kinds of books,
or a magazine preferring exact topics.
I'll use those numbers for marketing articles that share my Kindle publishing successes, which will sell more books, and once I reach a
certain level (probably 10K per month per book
or so) I'm sure
publishers and
agents and international
publishers will reach out to me to discuss terms.